For research to translate into impact, we need people: researchers, students, support staff, leaders, funders, and societal stakeholders who are aware, equipped, and prepared to engage in impact-driven research.
The journey from research to societal impact goes beyond a methodological process of planning, data collection, or reporting to funders. It also extends beyond societal engagement and the dissemination of research findings. While all these elements are essential, impact-driven research requires a supportive culture of impact, one where context, commitment, capacities, resources, and collaboration enable this journey. And at the centre of it all are people.
In this article, we share the ENLIGHT University Alliance approach to fostering a culture of impact through tailored training and mentoring activities, designed to strengthen impact awareness, literacy, and readiness.
ENLIGHT as an Impact-Driven University
ENLIGHT is one of the 65 European University Alliances supported by the European Commission. Established in November 2020, it brings together 10 public research-intensive universities committed to transform both their institutions and the European Higher Education and Research landscape. The alliance aims to empower learners as globally engaged citizens while strengthening Research and Innovation capacity with and for its societal partners.
As an impact-driven driven alliance, ENLIGHT promotes a culture of impact both within and beyond the alliance through three complementary dimensions:
- Raising Impact Awareness, promoting a shared understanding of the importance of impact in Higher Education and Research.
- Building Impact Literacy, equipping academics, students, and administrative and support staff with the knowledge, competencies, and tools needed to systematically embed impact across university activities.
- Strengthening Impact Readiness, supporting universities in developing the strategies, structures, and processes needed to proactively foster and manage impact[1].
To support these objectives, the ENLIGHT Impact Task Force has launched several complementary initiatives, including:
- a methodology and toolkit for the Impact Assessment of Higher Education Activities;
- a repository of good practices on research impact;
- an online self-assessment toolkit on research impact awareness, literacy and readiness;
- the ENLIGHT Impact Awards; and
- the ENLIGHT Impact Conferences.
ENLIGHT Capacity Building Activities on Research Impact
One of the core initiatives of the ENLIGHT Impact Task Force to foster a culture of impact is the development of a Research Impact Training programme. The ENLIGHT training approach was designed following:
- an analysis of the barriers and opportunities for impact-driven research;
- an assessment of the results from the ENLIGHT self-assessment toolkit; and
- a mapping of existing research impact training offer across partner universities.
The resulting approach is structured around four complementary pillars, targeting different groups within the ENLIGHT community and combining multiple formats, scales and learning approaches.
- Online Research Impact Training Resources
ENLIGHT developed an open online platform providing free access to research impact training materials. The platform covers both generic topics, such as What is research impact?, and more specialised themes, including How to write an impact case study? The resources include webinars, podcasts, recorded lectures, videos, and practical guidance materials, while also connecting users to external repositories and training resources.
- Training for Research Support Officers
A second pillar focused on Research Support Officers from ENLIGHT universities. The objective was to empower strategic professionals as multiplier agents supporting researchers within their institutions. The training combined in-person delivery with online participation and was structured around three main modules:
- understanding research impact and the institutional impact context;
- exploring the impact journey and impact generation processes; and
- drafting the impact section of Horizon Europe proposals.
- Tailored Training within ENLIGHT Universities
The third pillar consists of institution-specific training activities adapted to each university’s context and level of maturity in research impact. Particular efforts were deployed at the University of the Basque Country (EHU) and Comenius University Bratislava, where dedicated research impact courses for Early Career Researchers were launched in cooperation with doctoral schools.
Following the success of the EHU initiative, the programme was expanded to doctoral candidates from all G9 Universities in Spain. In parallel, research impact training was also delivered within European collaborative projects such as SUNRISE and COLOSSE.
At EHU, an additional comprehensive training programme for academics was launched, involving both ENLIGHT and internationally recognised experts in research impact. Its second edition will take place in July 2026.
- Training and Mentoring for ENLIGHT Collaborative Initiatives
The fourth pillar focuses on academics involved in ENLIGHT collaborative initiatives. This strand combines online training sessions with targeted mentoring activities supporting participants in preparing impact pitches and drafting narratives describing the impact journeys of ENLIGHT collaborative initiatives.
Through this multi-layered approach, ENLIGHT is strengthening research impact capacities across its partner universities while contributing to more impact-oriented, research practices in European Higher Education and Research.
[1] The concept of Impact Awareness, Literacy and Readiness was first introduced in Campillo,I., Nunes, G., Puertas, I. (2023). “Defining impact: as shift in thinking, acting and being.” At Times Higher Education.
Author: Glória Nunes Rodrigues, Euskampus Fundazioa